Trustees Are Last Hurdle for New Major in Communication
By Sean Tinsley
Although the buzz circulating from the dormitories and classrooms of the consistently ranges from the latest Davison dish to the next Hawk's home game, the most recent topic of conversation is about a new major that will soon go before the Board of Trustees.
A new major in communications has been proposed to be included in the school catalog for next fall. The degree, as currently proposed, includes courses in Introduction to Human Communication and Introduction to Mediated Communication; the two foundational courses; requirements in oral, visual, and written communication; two textual analysis classes; a theory course; and a senior seminar course.
The college currently offers courses in communications and an interdisciplinary certificate rather than a major.
The English department, including the director of the communications certificate program, English professor Sherry R. Shepler, Ph.D., took note of a recent trend.
"After finding interest from potential incoming students and support from many faculty and administrators, a new major housed in the English department was constructed and approved by the English department in May of this year and forwarded to the college's Curriculum Committee," Shepler said.
Fr. Augustine Kelly, O.S.B., Ph.D., declined to comment on the proposal, explaining that the Board of Trustees has yet to consider the proposal.
Several students, including Michael Flannigan '11, a criminal justice major, think the addition would benefit the college.
"I think that offering Communications as a major here at Saint A's is a great step, and it will be a popular major. It will certainly boost the number of applicants in the future," he said. "Communications is such an important field of study; it applies to just about every position available in today's market. And we all know that jobs are tough to come by these days."
For some seniors graduating with a certificate in Communications, the proposal of the new major now means a lost opportunity to graduate with a degree in the field.
"I think that including Communication as an area of study is important," said Evan Kelleher '10, a business major, said. "But at the same time, I wish I had the opportunity to study here and earn a degree in Communications. I guess it was just a long time coming. I might have been a Communications major had it been offered here when I first applied as a senior in high school."
Although some juniors and seniors may have missed out on their chance to major in Communication, the proposal for a communications major comes at a time of significant change for the college, including a comprehensive curriculum review.
"While maintaining a strong liberal arts approach to the major, the proposal allows the College to adapt to the changing interests of incoming students," said Sherry Shepler. "I anticipate other proposals for new majors or programs will take this approach as well."
A new major in communications has been proposed to be included in the school catalog for next fall. The degree, as currently proposed, includes courses in Introduction to Human Communication and Introduction to Mediated Communication; the two foundational courses; requirements in oral, visual, and written communication; two textual analysis classes; a theory course; and a senior seminar course.
The college currently offers courses in communications and an interdisciplinary certificate rather than a major.
The English department, including the director of the communications certificate program, English professor Sherry R. Shepler, Ph.D., took note of a recent trend.
"After finding interest from potential incoming students and support from many faculty and administrators, a new major housed in the English department was constructed and approved by the English department in May of this year and forwarded to the college's Curriculum Committee," Shepler said.
Fr. Augustine Kelly, O.S.B., Ph.D., declined to comment on the proposal, explaining that the Board of Trustees has yet to consider the proposal.
Several students, including Michael Flannigan '11, a criminal justice major, think the addition would benefit the college.
"I think that offering Communications as a major here at Saint A's is a great step, and it will be a popular major. It will certainly boost the number of applicants in the future," he said. "Communications is such an important field of study; it applies to just about every position available in today's market. And we all know that jobs are tough to come by these days."
For some seniors graduating with a certificate in Communications, the proposal of the new major now means a lost opportunity to graduate with a degree in the field.
"I think that including Communication as an area of study is important," said Evan Kelleher '10, a business major, said. "But at the same time, I wish I had the opportunity to study here and earn a degree in Communications. I guess it was just a long time coming. I might have been a Communications major had it been offered here when I first applied as a senior in high school."
Although some juniors and seniors may have missed out on their chance to major in Communication, the proposal for a communications major comes at a time of significant change for the college, including a comprehensive curriculum review.
"While maintaining a strong liberal arts approach to the major, the proposal allows the College to adapt to the changing interests of incoming students," said Sherry Shepler. "I anticipate other proposals for new majors or programs will take this approach as well."
This article was published on 12/11/09 in the News section.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
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posted 12/21/09 @ 3:56 PM EST
I agree that for some seniors graduating with a certificate in Communications, the proposal of the new major now means a lost opportunity to graduate with a degree in the field. (Continued…)
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posted 5/04/10 @ 4:56 PM EST
I think offering Communications as a major is a good idea for the school. A lot of students can benefit from it.
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